1. Field of the Invention
A belt assembly to support and release a backpack.
2. Background and Brief Summary of the Invention
Combat soldiers typically wear a light web-belt to carry often used items such as water-bottles, ammunition, and side-arms. The civilian equivalent to this is the "fanny-pack" popular with day hikers. Both soldiers and hikers, however, have difficulty wearing these light web belts when also wearing a heavy field backpack. Large load bearing backpacks use a substantial waist-belt to distribute the heavy load of the pack from the shoulders out over the wearer's hips. This waist-belt interferes with the web belt if both are worn at the same time. At best, it is inconvenient to move items from the light web belt to the heavy waist-belt or visa versa depending on the moment's need. Combat soldiers and serious mountain climbers have the added concern of being able to quickly drop their large backpacks if suddenly threatened by enemy fire or natural dangers such as avalanches. If essentials such as ammunition and survival gear are on the backpack waist-belt they would be lost just when most needed.
Broadly the invention comprises waist-belts equipped with a socket secured to a belt insert which socket can connect to backpack frames having a mating probe configuration. Alternatively, the waist-belt can be used by itself to carry lighter loads by removing the belt insert. While wearing the waist-belt, the user may shoulder a backpack and easily connect it to his/her waist-belt by inserting the backpack frame's probe into the socket.
A probe socket system for the purposes just described is disclosed in International Application PCT/US97/21188. Although the probe socket system disclosed in that application is suitable for its intended purpose it was discovered that for rigorous conditions a probe socket system was necessary which would increase the stability of the socket/probe assembly while the wearer leans from side to side and to facilitate ease of donning of the backpack while carrying awkward loads.